Follow Me....

...come into the woods, 

for I'm afraid we are not ready to leave yet, no,

but give me your hand and we will take you with us and you will see why.

Into the cool green we go, the seeping damp, the air surprisingly warm on our skin. We follow the path, a slow meander, voices murmuring through the trees, quiet footsteps ahead, the rustle of leaves, the distant chirp and chatter of birds.

Hurry now, and hush, for there is One who must not hear us. Quick! Light feet and haste!

 Here we are now, look, everyone is here, I don't think we are last. There is a little work to be done, for we are here for a very special reason.

There is a birthday, here in the woods. A Very Significant 8th Birthday, and we have been invited along to celebrate.

There is a flurry of activity as little wood nymphs and rabbits dash and scamper and scuttle, pulling streamers out of the trees, balloons out of burrows.

A mad dash to prepare, arrange and assemble, for the Birthday Girl has not arrived yet. And she does not even know we are here!

So, as she is 'out for a walk' in the woods with her Nan, the bustle of activity continues, until all is ready, all is set.

And so we wait.

Until it is time to gather together the scattered dearlings, the wayward rabbits and knights, the Tweedledums and Tweedledees, and hustle them all out of the clearing, for a little bird has told us She is on her way!

And for a moment this little dell rings with excited shrieks and squeals and hoarse whispered shouts,

'She is coming!! Quick! Hide! Everyone hide!'

And then a giggling hush descends, and everyone takes their place, the excitement quivering in the air, a tremor in the leaves.

'Here she is!'

Oh the little face as she is surrounded by her family and friends as they spill out of the trees around her, the round eyes and astonished countenance, and we all cheer and clap and our voices echo up into the treetops above:

Happy Birthday to you ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪Happy Birthday Dear Darling♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ ♪♫•*¨*•♫ Happy Birthday to you!♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ ♪♫•*¨*•♫.........

And then the games begin in ernest, the cakes magically disappear, and the Birthday Girl, aka The White Queen, holds court and regales us with fantastical Tales of Great Adventures.

And the day draws in, the sunlight finds us and persuades us to stay, the forest echoes with the glad little voices. A joyful sound that will linger long after we are gone.

And happiness gathers.

Oh! Are you leaving? Must you?

No, we are staying, for just a while longer. 

The weather is mild and surprisingly dry for November, we have sandwiches and tea, and birthday cake to come. 

We love it here. We are not ready to go. 

Just yet.

A Wander Off The Beaten Track.

Oh hello!

Did I fall asleep? Did I fall into some other place where the sun shines?

I may have, I am not sure.

It was, I think, a place where we spend our days a~wandering in the forest, kicking up leaves, traipsing through mud, the heady scent of loamy soil, of humus and decay filling the air around us,

seeping into our bones like some restorative tonic.

I must have closed my eyes for a moment. 

Sunlight glows behind my eyelids, a dappled green light, a quietening blush.

And there in the stillness, there, do you hear? 

The quivering trees, stirring the air as they nod and murmur,

whispering in your ear.

The muffled footfalls of small people running through the woods, voices calling to one another.

The rush of water over stone.

Which one is life's most satisfying sound?

Yes, I did, I crept away from it all, I stopped in the woods awhile and found this place that is quiet and still and does not require me to do anything, or be anything other than quiet and still. Time away from blogging and writing and being right out there in the online world. And I admit I am reluctant to leave this place, to return to all that I have created for myself in the world that exists through this magic looking glass that is my computer.

 I find I want to read books again, to walk in the woods and swim in the sea, to meet with friends and chat and ask them how they are. To watch a film and actually sit on a couch for a change! Oh! To sit by the fire and sew again, to read and hang out. Does anyone else feel like this?

It's time to pause, no, to stop.

I am not going away, not yet, no.
But there is a lot I need to think about and plan and do.

Other things.

It won't be long.

I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute, the sun is lovely......